Courses

Research Interests

I am a microbial ecologist using molecular techniques to study uncultured microorganisms in aquatic and terrestrial environments. During the last years, I have mainly addressed questions on the ecology of nitrogen-fixing actinomycetes of the genus Frankia and their host plants, but was also involved in studies on invertebrate-microorganism interactions, the ecophysiology of uncultured purple sulfur and sulfate-reducing bacteria, the role of microorganisms in bioremediation of organic and inorganic contaminants, or the fate of pathogens in the environment.